Silver lining for Attfield! Town young guns up for the cup

BUNTINGFORD TOWN 5 (R Wilmott 2, S Leader, B Lynch, T Malins) BUCKHURST HILL 1 (P Somers) IT all came right in the end. After pushing for league honours for much of the season and reaching one cup final, Town trounced Buckhurst Hill to capture the Herts

BUNTINGFORD TOWN 5

(R Wilmott 2, S Leader, B Lynch, T Malins)

BUCKHURST HILL 1

(P Somers)

IT all came right in the end.

After pushing for league honours for much of the season and reaching one cup final, Town trounced Buckhurst Hill to capture the Herts Floodlit Cup.

While Saturday's scoreline probably flattered the home side, it was a good performance from a Town side containing 12 youth team players in the 16-man squad.

It left boss Paul Attfield a delighted man.

He said: "It was great to finish a successful season with a cup final victory.

"We had a difficult first half of the season with injuries and too much inconsistency in our performances, but this was overturned after the Christmas break with a lot of hard work.

"To finish fourth in the league and get to two cup finals is a fine achievement and everyone should be commended for their efforts."

A slow start to the game saw little in the way of goalmouth action, with the visitors having the only half-chances, with Jamie Saunders and Lee Sherrin both going close.

John Biting had the first chance for the home side when his long-range shot dipped just over the bar in the 34th minute, but they grabbed the lead six minutes later.

A great ball from Mark Smith reached Robbie Willmot, and he held off a defender before clinically burying the ball from 20 yards.

Town looked to have wrapped things up three minutes into the second half when they doubled their lead as Biting's well-placed free-kick found Sam Leader at the far post to volley home from six yards.

However, within two minutes the visitors had pulled a ball back when Buntingford failed to clear a free-kick and Paul Somers headed home.

He nearly doubled his tally in the 53rd minute when he headed against a post but, after a quiet spell, Attfield's team made it 3-1 in the 70th minute.

Another Bitting free-kick, this time from the right, was delivered to the far post where Barry Lynch headed back across the keeper and the ball was helped over the line by a defender.

It was all over nine minutes from time when a quick break down the right saw George Garner outpace full-back Matthew Lowman and square for Wilmott to convert from 10 yards.

The scoring was completed three minutes later when the visitors failed to clear and Tom Malins volleyed into the roof of the net from 12 yards.